Maria Hildreth Parker. Aunty’s Elfin Land, or, The Astonishing Doings of Mildred, Tom and Harry. Illustrated by Hermann Dudley Murphy. Boston, J.G. Cupples and Co., 1890.
The Art of Book Design: Aunty’s Elfin Land
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Maria Hildreth Parker. Aunty’s Elfin Land, or, The Astonishing Doings of Mildred, Tom and Harry. Illustrated by Hermann Dudley Murphy. Boston, J.G. Cupples and Co., 1890.
Mark Twain. Eve’s Diary. Illustrated by Lester Ralph. London and New York, Harper and Bros., 1906.
Today’s Mark Twain is one of my favourite books, Eve’s Diary. It’s nothing like Adam’s Diary, which I posted yesterday. Everything about it is unique. The artwork is softer and evocative and involves you in the story on an emotional level. The book is brilliantly illustrated by Lester Ralph in the Art Nouveau style, and every page has a charming illustration. I chose a few of my favourites to share with you below, but it was hard to limit myself.
It isn’t just the artwork that sets Eve’s Diary apart. The story is also told in a different style. Eve speaks with a sense of wonder and curiosity that is captivating and utterly charming. The book also has one of the most poignant and beautiful endings I’ve encountered. I encourage you to read this book. It’s wonderful.
That’s my copy of Eve’s Diary in the picture. (Sorry it’s a bit fuzzy – I’m hopeless using my phone camera) It was a gift from Marcus, and I treasure it. Marcus shared with me that Twain had just lost his wife and his daughter around the time of writing Eve’s Diary. It gave the book more depth for me, so I’m sharing it with you.
The illustrations are from The Internet Archive, where you can read the book. Enjoy.
Eve’s Diary, page 2.
Eve’s Diary, page 10.
Eve’s Diary, page 14.
Eve’s Diary, page 30.
Eve’s Diary, page 36.
Eve’s Diary, page 38.
Eve’s Diary, page 42.
Eve’s Diary, page 48.
Eve’s Diary, page 60.
Eve’s Diary, page 72.
Eve’s Diary, page 82.
Eve’s Diary, page 86.
Eve’s Diary, page 94.
Mark Twain. Extracts from Adam’s Diary. Illustrated by F. Strothmann. New York, Harper & Bros., 1904.
Today’s first edition Twain is another submission from Marcus. Adam’s Diary is a satirical and lighthearted look at Adam’s early days in the Garden of Eden. I’m including a few of the drawings from the book, mostly for comparison with the drawings from tomorrow’s book. You won’t want to miss that!
Extracts from Adam’s Diary, Frontispiece by F. Strothmann.
Extracts from Adam’s Diary, page 2.
Extracts from Adam’s Diary, Page 6.
Extracts from Adam’s Diary, Page 14.
Extracts from Adam’s Diary, Page 68.
Cover photo via Marcus Ranum (Stderr)
The book is available to read at The Internet Archive
Mark Twain. Extract from Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven. Cover design and frontispiece by Albert Levering. New York and London, Harper Brothers, 1909.
Today’s book by Mark Twain was submitted by Marcus, and he’s holding his own first edition copy of the book. I love the artwork on the cover, and since the frontispiece illustration is similar, but with more detail, I’m including that as well.
Extract from Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven. Frontispiece by Albert Levering.
Cover photo via Marcus Ranum (Stderr)
The book is available to read at The Internet Archive
Mark Twain. A Dog’s Tale. Illustrated by W.T. Smedley. New York, Harper Bros., 1904.
Cover photo via: Biblio.com
Available to read at The Internet Archive
Mark Twain. Editorial Wild Oats. Illustrated by F. Strothman. New York and London, Harper Brothers, 1905. First Edition.
via: The Internet Archive
During our holidays, the city of Mataró celebrated its annual major festival calleD “Les Santes”, the saints, remembering two female martyrs from probably the 3rd century. Surprisingly, those martyrs feature very little in the celebrations which had multiple concerts of different kinds of music, from classical to hip hop, theatre, children’s theatre and, most importantly, the street festival. Central to this is the “Robfaves family and the dwarves”: El señor Robfaves, his Wife the Giantess, their daughter Toneta and her husband Maneló.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
And no, those aren’t just statues that are put in front of the decorated town hall. Inside of those figures are people who carry them through the streets!
©Giliell, all rights reserved
While there is one day of the big parade, you can meet them throughout the whole two week festival. Nowadays there are also many other giant figures from the various schools, clubs, institutions, churches, villages,… While many of them seem to have a meaning and a history, I was unable to find out more because the information was in Catalan only. :(
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Here’s an overview of some of them as miniatures in a shop window and now for them in real size. Sorry if the images aren’t much, they were taken with the mobile holding it above my head and hoping for the best.
It’s Mark Twain week here at The Art of Book Design, but maybe not the Mark Twain you’re expecting. I’m going to feature first editions of some of Twain’s less famous works throughout the week, and on Saturday I’ll be sharing one of my favourite books of all time in an extended post that will include lots of pictures. Let’s leap into the week (groan) with The Jumping Frog.
Mark Twain. The Jumping Frog. Illustrated by F. Strothman. New York and London, Harper and Brothers, 1903. First Edition.
Mark Twain. The Jumping Frog. Illustrated by F. Strothman. New York and London, Harper and Brothers, 1903. Original dust jacket.
Cover Photos via: Books Tell You Why.com
The Story can be read (in a different edition) at The Internet Archive
William Morris. Love is Enough; or, The Freeing of Pharamond, a morality. Boston, Roberts brothers, 1873.
via: The Internet Archive
Anna Alice Chapin. Illustrated by Jessie Wilcox Smith. The Now-A-Days Fairy Book. New York, Dodd Mead Company, 1911.
The fairy book this week is a short one with only 2 illustrations, but the story is charming and the artwork is sweet. I’m in love with the picture of the teddy bears, but the monkey is pretty cute, too. Enjoy.
The Now-A-Days Fairy Book, page 38.
The Now-A-Days Fairy Book, page 68.
Here’s the last pics from our night out. After that, Instead of walking back the short way to the train station we got off, the family voted to walk to the Plaza Catalunya and we got a bit lost on the way. We managed to catch the last train home which was kind of strange because you’d think that trains from the capital to the bigger cities around it would run through the night, especially on a Saturday, but shortly after midnight the train service ceases for the night. On that train I had one of the more frightening experiences. A young dude was standing in the aisle and suddenly took out a dagger style knife. I didn’t say a word, especially not to the tired kids and extra especially not to the dude so I wouldn’t catch his attention. He started “stabbing” the side of the train and I started to make plans in case of emergency, like putting my camera rucksack in front of my body and shifting my position to cover the kids.
Thankfully he then used his knife to cut off the top of a plastic bottle, took out some cheap wodka and lemonade and got even more drunk than he was before.
OK, back to the Sagrada Familia. I have no clue what happened here. I guess the light and the structure and the 2D nature of photography are playing a trick, because it definitely didn’t look like this, or I would have noticed.
©Giliell, all rights reserved Looking quite chill. A day of visitors and works done.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Maybe a bit tipsy.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. The angle of the cranes is worrying me.
©Giliell, all rights reserved Ok, looks like I didn’t accidentally walk of out a Mexican restaurant in Barcelona and ended up in Pisa.
©Giliell, all rights reserved.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Go home, you’re drunk.
Hartmann, Franz. Magic, White and Black. New York, Theosophical society, 1904.
Marshall Saunders. Princess Sukey. New York, Eaton & Mains; Cincinnati, Jennings & Graham [c1905]